Syria and Russia have reached an agreement concerning the future use of two strategic Mediterranean coastal bases, transitioning them from purely Russian military outposts to joint training and qualification centers under Syrian administration.
The deal, announced by Syria's Foreign Ministry on Sunday, will see Syria take control of the Hmeimem air base near Latakia and the commercial berth at Tartus port. The military facilities at both locations are designated to become "joint training and qualification centers," according to the ministry.
These arrangements represent a "reorganizing of the Russian presence" along Syria's coast and signal a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations, the ministry stated. The agreement follows negotiations that began approximately a year and a half ago.
Throughout the Syrian conflict, which ran from 2011 to 2024, the Hmeimem air base and Tartus naval base served as key Russian outposts in the eastern Mediterranean, supporting ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Russia provided Assad with significant political and military backing during the conflict, and offered him and his family asylum after his ouster. Russian troops present in Syria at the time of Assad's overthrow gradually departed the country.
Syria's current leadership, headed by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has sought to maintain robust bilateral ties with Moscow. Al-Sharaa has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin twice since assuming power, with the status of the two Mediterranean bases being a point of discussion in those meetings.
In addition to its relationship with Russia, Syria has also been working to strengthen its ties with the United States, Europe, and neighboring Arab nations. Many of these countries had severed relations with Damascus during Assad's crackdown on protests. Washington has since lifted most sanctions against Syria, and French President Emmanuel Macron visited the country in July, announcing that France and Syria would appoint ambassadors to each other's capitals for the first time in 14 years.